


Masquerade

by noxsoulmate



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Business Deals, CEO Castiel (Supernatural), Contracts, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Destiel Harlequin Challenge (Supernatural), Fake/Pretend Relationship, Firefighter Dean Winchester, Fluff and Smut, Jealous Dean Winchester, Jealousy, M/M, Misunderstandings, POV Dean Winchester, Smut, Supportive Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:41:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25922251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxsoulmate/pseuds/noxsoulmate
Summary: It had begun as such a good plan; one that benefitted them both. And masquerading as Castiel Krushnic's boyfriend during the weeks of balls, galas, and charity events certainly was no hardship. With the impending end of their arrangement, though, Dean Winchester must admit that behind the mask of an aloof CEO lies a man he could fall in love with. Or maybe, he already has…
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester
Comments: 56
Kudos: 541
Collections: Destiel Harlequin Challenge 2020





	1. Knight in Shining Armor

**Author's Note:**

> It's here, my entry for this year's [Destiel Harlequin Challenge](https://destielharlequinchallenge.tumblr.com/) 😍 thanks to the amazing mods for running this challenge and for once again being patient with me 😅 I promise, one day and all that...
> 
> As with all my Harlequin entries, you can find my original prompt [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nmQgWvMUxLzAV6cD4p9EzjdPTcW32Uu9z6ukZxvf0IQ/edit?usp=sharing). 
> 
> The biggest thanks to my dearest beta and soulmate [ArielSakura](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArielSakura), as well as [KoraKwidditch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KoraKwidditch), who jumped in for her at one point on a really, really short notice 💖 I owe both of you big times, thank you so much, you wonderful human beings!
> 
> Also, big thanks to [LunaRavenclaw9](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaRavenclaw9), for being a wonderful alpha-reader 😘
> 
> If you would like to get in the right mood of a splendid masquerade ball, listen to this wonderful [playlist ](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6zXTs4nuKs7fe36ir7I8AC?si=JWqLu9HuTlia0jSRBOo-SQ) [SonnenFlower](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonnenFlower) has created for this fic 🎉  
>   
>   
>  **SPN AU Bingo Card**  
>  _square filled:_ O3 "CEO AU"  
>   
>   
> All that being said, I hope you enjoy this little fic...

The mask in his hand felt heavy, though Dean knew it was nothing more than his imagination playing tricks on him. He traced the elegant adornments along the black material, the flourish, and the green Swarovski gems. It felt rich - it felt _expensive,_ and Dean didn’t even want to know what it had cost. If he knew one thing about this arrangement by now, it was that he never _would_ find out anyway.

Looking up, he let his gaze wander over the vast ballroom below. Why a business building would have an entire floor dedicated to solely function as a lavish ballroom that could rival any Disney fairytale castle, Dean had no idea. A few months ago, he would have laughed about such a place just idly taking up the thirty-third floor of the Angel Corp building in the heart of New York. Now though, he had come to realize just how often it was used for banquets, parties, and conferences.

Not to forget fancy masquerade balls, such as tonight.

And what a masquerade it was.

The floor was already packed to its prime with ladies in the most elegant ball gowns and gentlemen showing off their riches in flashy evening wear and suits. Their masks did little to hide who they really were, of course. But Dean had to admit, it added to the mystery and the spectacle and the glamour of the night.

So did the small orchestra that filled the hall with the finest tunes, from classical melodies to instrumental interpretations of modern pop songs. Dean was half-convinced some of the people currently occupying the dance floor had never heard of the songs in their lives.

Amidst the sea of colorful dresses and suits in various shades of black, grey, blue, and even some reds, one figure stood out more than anyone else. Or maybe it was just in Dean’s eyes, but as he leaned against the railing of the balcony to look down, his eyes drew to the only person in a silver-white suit and matching mask.

A mask that not only matched the suit, but in its embroidery and design, also matched Dean’s; a silver-blue counterpart to Dean’s black and green.

It was intentional, of course it was, and it certainly shouldn’t have the effect on Dean that it had. 

But when he caught sight of it, his heart did a little somersault, and he had to close his eyes for a moment, stepping back into the shadows of the balcony. When he opened them again, his gaze once more fell on the mask in his hand.

He knew he had to put it on, eventually, knew he had to step out of the shadows and down the grand staircase into the light and bustle of the ball. Into his role.

The role of a lifetime.

Dean’s heart began to race again.

In his thirty-five years of life, he had been called many things. Loyal and charming certainly made the top of this list, as well as hot-headed, hard-working, funny, and kind. Adorable and handsome - which was not his vanity speaking, truthfully. Dean knew his looks appealed to most of humankind, and he had never minded putting that to his advantage. Only if it fit the circumstances, of course; he wasn’t a vain person, and he had never been called such.

There was one other thing though Dean was sure would never make the list of his qualities - and that was being a good actor. He had stared in a school play once, solely because his mother had wanted him to. He had played a little demon… it was the one, and only, time the school’s theater teacher had put him on stage or that his mother had talked about ‘Dean’ and ‘acting’ in the same sentence.

No, if Dean was one thing, it sure as hell was not an actor.

Which would probably explain the predicament he currently found himself in - but it certainly didn’t clarify how he had gotten here in the first place, no. He _still_ wasn’t sure what drugs Sam had been on when he had called him that one late night, over three months ago, ordering him to his workplace at New York’s branch of Angel Corp and smuggling Dean to one of the top floors of the fancy-ass company building. It had all been a very suspicious cloak-and-dagger operation, and when Dean had heard precisely _why_ that was, he had been sure his brother must have been out of his mind.

He still was sure, and thinking back on that moment now was rather surreal. 

Yet… When his eyes landed on Castiel Krushnic again, in his silver dress up, blue eyes alight with laughter and black hair as wild as ever, he couldn’t help but be thrown back to when he had stepped into the office on the 76th floor for the very first time. Seeing the man leaning against the window - which was actually one long glass front - the lights of New York at night in his back giving him a somewhat ethereal glow had been... breathtaking.

How very fitting for one of the three heirs and CEOs of Angel Corp, one of America’s top Fortune 500 companies.

The moment he had seen Cas like that, Dean had known this picture would forever be burned into his mind, just as the offer the man had made him only minutes later...

~*~*~*~

“I’m sorry, you want me to do what now?”

He sat at the edge of the lush seat he currently occupied, staring at possibly one of the most powerful and richest men of New York, trying to grasp the meaning of the words he had just heard.

“You heard me, Dean.”

“Okay, then let me summarize what I _understood_. You, Castiel Krushnic, want me to be your… your fake boyfriend? For the next three months? To ward off any unwanted attention? And in return, I’ll be allowed at all of the upcoming galas, and charity events, and meetings, and whatnot? And you won’t say anything if I sweet talk these people into opening their checkbooks for my charity?”

“I’ll do you one better, even,” Castiel interrupted. “I’ll _introduce_ you to some of the most powerful people. I’ll make sure your charity will need nothing after this for a very, very long time.”

Dean swallowed, looking over at his brother, who nodded enthusiastically. It had been with Sam’s help that nearly five years ago, Dean had been able to fulfill one of his dreams. Along with a handful of other firefighters, he had started a charity for families who had lost their homes due to accidental fires. They had a big sponsoring platform now, with Angel Corp as one of their main donors right from the start - also thanks to Sam. But Dean had always hoped to expand on their goals, make it a wider array to not only support families after such tragedy. If Dean would get what he wanted, they would also be able to support the families of firefighters who had lost their last battle. Maybe even those who had been injured and were unable to stay in duty. Ultimately, even put some money into the work safety of first responders in general.

Though, all those goals were wild dreams and would probably stay such for a very long time. It was easy to talk companies into opening their pockets for poor kids who had become orphans or families who had been left homeless. But it was not so easy to do the same for the people actually rushing into burning buildings to save their lives. Sure, they had gotten a check here and a donation there, but nothing to build a lasting stand on.

And now, here was Castiel Krushnic, playing his knight in shining armor by offering him a way into the holy circles of money. Allowing him to talk about his charity whenever he would be by his side, as long as he also spends this time pretending to date the guy.

Looking back at the man, Dean had to admit Castiel was exactly his type, aside from all the money and the press constantly surrounding the guy. The cool demeanor he knew him to wear whenever it came to business deals - well, _usual_ business deals, no cloak-and-dagger operations - meant he probably wouldn’t have a hard time selling this show.

The fact that Cas was more than his type meant Dean wouldn’t struggle with that either.

Swallowing once more as he thought about it, he finally nodded. “Alright. What exactly would this deal entail?”

For the first time, Castiel’s stoic face softened, and a genuine smile spread across his face as he moved away from the window to sit down in his seat.

“A man of sharp wit, quick decisions, and action. I like it,” he commented, pulling out a pack of papers that looked like a contract form. “Let’s talk details then.”

~*~*~*~

Despite being a lousy actor, Dean at least had one thing going for himself.

He was _committed._

Which, most likely, was precisely what brought him to this very moment; three months and countless outings as Castiel Krushnic’s boyfriend later; to this very situation of his heart not behaving anymore in the way it should...

A soft hand landed on his shoulder, and Dean looked over to see Jessica smiling at him.

“Breathe, Dean. It will be alright.”

 _Easy for you to say_ , he thought but still put on his best effort for a smile. By her soft pat, he knew he hadn’t convinced her, but she still stepped aside to take Sam’s proffered arm. Dean took a moment to take in the happy - and rather stunning - couple as they made their way to the big staircase.

They struck quite the picture; Sam in his dark blue suit and the fancy-ass midnight-blue mask - the one that signaled him as part of the lawyer department of Angel Corp - and Jess in her off-white dress, pattern in the same midnight blue as Sam’s mask and baby blue hues that matched hers. 

After letting his fingers wander over his own mask one last time, Dean straightened up, donning not only his literal, but also his proverbial mask for the evening. He could do this! Jess was right; it would all be fine. All he had to do was breathe and get through this last event unscathed.

And then it would all be over.

Pushing the dark thoughts aside, Dean stepped away from the balcony-like gallery and towards the staircase. Already, he could see heads turning as Sam and Jess made their way down, the light shining right in their direction, accidentally highlighting the couple.

A handful of Sam’s coworkers shared the unintended spotlight with them. Still, no one was as impressive as Jess in her beautiful gown and the radiating smile, on the arm of a man looking at her like a lovesick puppy - which, truthfully, Sam still was, even seven years after they had tight the knot. Jess certainly deserved to have this moment, this grand entrance, and so did Sam. Dean smiled at himself as he followed the couple a few steps behind. There was not a pair of eyes that weren’t turned towards his beautiful sister-in-law.

None.

Except for one.

When their eyes met over the sea of masks, Dean knew his heart stopped beating for a moment only to restart at thrice its usual rate. His breath caught, and he was sure he was suffocating. When he saw the smile spreading over Castiel Krushnic’s face, it was like taking that first breath after staying underwater for too long. His own smile was no longer forced or fake or anything alike; just seeing the man across the room sent the butterflies soaring. Which, of course, was precisely his predicament! Because that was _not_ what he was here for.

He didn’t let his warring thoughts or feelings interfere with the moment, though, for he had already spotted the woman by Cas’ side. Not wasting another moment once he had reached the bottom of the staircase, Dean made his way over to the little group, greeting some familiar - even if hidden - faces along the way.

The closer he came to Cas, the calmer he seemed to get, even though the butterflies in his stomach flew somersaults. But he was here for one reason and one alone. He might not be a good actor - but he had played this role for the past three months. It was no longer an issue for him to slip into his act, slide up right next to Cas and wind his arm around his waist, pulling him in close.

“... and that artwork, Castiel, let me tell you-”

Catching the last piece of conversation, Dean went right in.

“Oh yes, the artwork is stunning, isn’t it?” he said, giving the woman a wide smile. “But then again, Cas always has good taste for the finer things in life,” he added, directing the smile towards Cas before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek and stage whispering, “Hey, sweet cheeks. Sorry for being a bit late, had to wait on Sam and Jess getting ready.”

Even behind the beautiful silver mask, Dean could see Cas minutely narrow his eyes about Dean _still_ going with the silly pet name he had protested from the first minute but eventually ignored. Outwardly though, Cas sent him a sappy smile - or as sappy as a Fortune 500 CEO would give.

“No worries. You certainly made quite the entrance.”

“Oh, you know Jess. Go big or go home.”

Dean joined in his chuckling and leaned closer to the man’s warmth. He only did it to really sell this show, of course. It had nothing at all to do with the desire growing inside of him to let this be real. No, it was only because of the woman with wide eyes behind a grey and rose mask, staring at them.

One Dean now turned back to, seemingly remembering they had company.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced.”

As always, Cas was right there to complete their act.

“Ah, yes, Dean, this is Kelly Richings. You’ve heard about her. Kelly, please meet Dean Winchester. My boyfriend.”

“Kelly,” Dean exclaimed as if she had been the one person he had always wanted to meet. “Yes, of course. I’ve met your father before, heard so much about you.”

Biting into a fresh piece of lemon would not have produced as sore of a face as Kelly was trying hard to hide. Dean had to put in a lot of effort not to break into roaring laughter.

“ _Dean_ , yes. My father’s told me quite a bit.”

“Only good things, I hope,” Dean replied, ignoring the small stab of Cas' finger in his side that told him not to provoke.

Kelly apparently didn’t know how to reply to this cordially, _and_ without saying something she rather not. Dean was positive her father had become quite the fan of him over the past weeks, so he was sure she _had_ only heard good things about him - and instead of replying, she opted to empty her champagne flute.

Dean used the moment to lay it on thick, pulling Cas closer to his side and leaning in to murmur in his ear.

“Smile and chuckle as if I’m telling you something sweet.”

Cas did as he was told, and when Dean leaned back, he was met with the sweetest grin. Cas’ eyes danced and shined as they looked back into his own, and God, how he wanted to lean in right that second and taste those sweet lips.

But they had set limits, and real kisses had been at the very top of Dean’s own list, to which Cas had agreed - how he hated himself right now for that.

Though most likely, it was exactly what would save his sanity tonight.

A clearing of a throat was what pulled Dean away from his thoughts and Cas’ deep eyes. He looked back at Kelly - who was still there, now visibly annoyed.

“Pardon us, how impolite. It’s just that Cas and I haven’t seen each other in over three days.” He rounded his statement with a wink, making it perfectly clear that three days was a terrible, _terrible_ time to be separated from each other.

Kelly simply huffed and then lifted her glass as if to show it off. “Well, I guess I’ll leave you to it then. I was about to get myself a new drink anyway. I will see you later.”

“I can’t wait. I would love to chat with you some more,” Dean replied, and this time, the poke in his side was a tad harder, making his smile only wider. 

If looks could kill, Dean would be burning to the ground right now, and Kelly would be responsible for his death. As it was, though, she simply turned around and left them standing.

As they watched her leave, Dean could feel Cas slowly relax by his side and into his arm, until finally, he sighed in relief, his gaze still following Kelly as she crossed the parlor.

“Thank you, Dean,” he murmured. “I don’t know how much longer I would’ve been able to stay cordial.”

“No worries,” Dean whispered back, still smiling. When he saw the woman briefly turning back to look at them, he tightened his hold on Cas’ hip, pulled him closer against his side, and leaned in. For any onlooker, it would appear as if he was kissing his neck, whispering sweet little nothings into his ear.

What he really said though, was, “That’s what I’m here for, after all. Right?”

Indeed, it was.

Despite the butterflies in his stomach; despite how bad of an actor he was.

 _That_ was the purpose of the whole charade.

 _That_ was the reason Sam had smuggled him into this very building all those months ago.

 _That_ was the reason Castiel Krushnic, badass CEO and heir of a Fortune 500 company, had asked him to masquerade as his boyfriend for a few months.

To ward off any unwanted attention from men and women alike, who had made it their goal to fuse their companies with Angel Corp by simply getting into the CEO’s bed.

A man so rich, powerful, and influential, his family was in league with names such as the Rockefellers or Gates. A few more names came to mind, but Dean was pretty sure the Krushnic family easily trumped most of them. 

A man who - by his own admission - had never been able to tell if his former partners had wanted _him_ or his name.

A man who had absolutely no desire to give away his heart, ever, and who had struck a deal to assure just that.

This, and nothing else, Dean had to remember if he wanted to keep his heart safe.

For Cas, he might have become a friend - but aside from that, what they had between them was a business deal. They even had a fucking _contract_ for their whole charade.

For Cas, he was nothing more than harsh reality.

His _fake_ boyfriend.

If Dean hadn’t been such a bad actor, maybe he would have been able to keep it as professional as the man by his side. Maybe he would’ve been able to guard his heart from the pretend hugs, and kisses, and sweet nothings. Guard it from the dancing and laughing and praises in front of others; from the little things Cas had done just for him and the grand gestures he had done in front of others.

But it had already been established that Dean was a bad, albeit committed, actor.

One that, to really sell the act, had to open himself up to it.

One that had gone all in.

One that had not been able to guard his heart. 

At all.

Especially not when Cas was giving him this soft little smile even though no one paid them any attention. Sure, they stood in a room filled to the brim with people - but everyone around them were chatting, and laughing, and dancing, and generally paying no attention. Yet, Cas smiled at him, his eyes shining.

“Even still,” he finally replied and Dean had a hard time pulling his thoughts back to what Cas was replying to. “Thank you for being my knight in shining armor.”

Swallowing hard, Dean held Cas’ gaze, at last able to reply.

“Anytime, Cas,” he told him, his heart bursting at how much he meant those words, even if they would never mean the same to the man in question. “Anytime.”

~*~

One of the best things during any kind of rich people’s event certainly was the food, and Dean never missed a chance to try all the little finger-food-sized pieces of heaven. He also usually made sure to be at the buffet early, so he would get a taste of everything and not just the leftovers. This time, his first chance came after Cas and he had finished a first sweep around the room to greet everyone important. _And_ to show off as the happy couple they were, of course.

Not thinking about that now, Dean stood at the long table holding a variety of exciting-sounding bites. While he filled himself a plate, a thought came to him and without hesitation, he began to put a few bites on a second plate. 

In a nice change of events, Cas was surrounded by people Dean knew to be friendly acquaintances, and no one he needed to save him from. Sneaking up to his side, Dean held out the second plate for Cas to take. While the rest of the group kept chattering, Cas took it but first looked at the plate, then at Dean with a puzzled expression.

“What’s this?”

“The fancy little signs read meatballs, salmon, some kind of potato casserole, quiche, and something to do with pasta. Here, try this,” Dean added, pointing to the quiche, “It’s delicious.”

Still staring at him instead of the food, Dean could see just how flabbergasted Cas was. Finally, he seemed to catch himself enough to at least talk.

“You- you brought me food? Why?”

Shrugging, Dean took one of the toothpicks from his own plate and popped a little meatball into his mouth. Remembering his manners, he swallowed before speaking again.

“I’ve come to notice that you – or, well, your company, but whatever – always pay for the most extravagant and delicious food; and then you never even try it. Which is a shame, let me tell you.”

Taking another bite, he still found Cas’ eyes on him, a smile playing around his lips. Not knowing what to make of it, Dean pointed to the food again and finally, Cas took a bite. After a moment, he moaned around the quiche.

“Good, ey?” Dean asked, trying not to let the little noise affect him too much.

Cas was already nodding, but only spoke once he had swallowed. “Yes, it is. My God, you’re right. I should try the food more often.”

The comment had Dean smiling and for a short while, they ate in silence. That was, until Mildred Baker - an elderly lady who had inherited quite a fortune after her late husband’s death - turned towards them, cooing and smiling.

“Now look at the two of you, such a sweet couple. Castiel, my friend, you’ve got yourself a good one there.” Leaning in, she put her hand on his arm and stage whispered, “Definitely a keeper! Make sure to not let him go.”

“I don’t intend to,” Cas easily replied, smiling back at her. “And you’re right,” he added while looking up at Dean. “I’m sure I couldn’t have found a better man if I had tried.”

With his best effort, Dean was able to not blush furiously, even though he was unable to keep the words from going straight to his heart, making it beat wildly. All he could do was smile back softly at Cas, hoping people would interpret it as him being touched by the statement.

Which, of course, he was.

Just not solely for the reason people might think. Or maybe, exactly for that reason. Boy, this was getting confusing...

He was pulled out of his rambly thoughts by Mildred speaking again.

“Castiel, dear, I think you’ve never told me how the two of you actually met. The magazines only gave a vague story about a mutual acquaintance and you know me. I need more details.”

“Ah, yes,” Cas replied. “That would be Dean’s brother, Sam Winchester. He’s my head-lawyer.”

“Wasn’t that the kid who won a case _against_ you, a few years back?”

That comment made both Dean and Cas chuckle, and it made Dean’s heart swell with pride for his little brother. 

“Yeah, well, as it turns out,” Dean said, “Winning a big case against Angel Corp when fresh out of law school sure made for a good impression.” The comment got him a few chuckles from around the group, seemingly drawing more attention to their conversation. It also had Cas smiling fondly, so Dean continued. “Sam was the newest rookie in that particular law firm and the case in question one of those ‘clear’ and ‘decided’ from the start ones. You know, one of those cases older lawyers stay clear off since they know it’s a lost cause.”

“To be fair,” a man Dean was sure he hadn’t met before threw in, “Up until then, no one had won a case against the Krushnic clan. Ever.”

“Nor has anyone after that,” Cas added while he raised his glass in toast to the other man.

“Thing is,” Dean went on, chuckling about Cas’ antics, “No one had told my brother about that. I mean, of course, he knew about the Krushnics and their legacy - but he was also young and ambitious.”

“And see where it led him,” Cas told him. “Also, in all honesty, it was a case back in the day I was glad to see the company lose. Mistakes had been made and speaking solely as a human being and not as a CEO, it wouldn’t have been fair nor would it have looked good if Angel Corp won that case. There’s a reason, after all, that we decided to cut ties with that certain contractor before the case was even brought to court.”

“Hear, hear,” someone else called and toasted to the group in general, joined by some others.

“Besides that,” Cas went on after taking a sip of champagne himself, “Yes, Sam Winchester impressed me very much during the case. I simply knew the next time we met in court, I wanted him to be on my side.”

“Clever move,” Mrs. Baker concluded, chuckling, and Cas joined in.

“Well yeah, I’m still grateful for it in many ways. One of them, of course, being the fact that without him, I would’ve never met Dean.”

With his last words, Cas took Dean’s hand, squeezing it lightly, making Dean’s heart squeeze tight as well.

Still staying in his role, Dean went on.

“It’s actually rather funny, in some parts. Sam met his wife thanks to me. She’s a first responder, just like me, and the very first day I met her, I knew I wanted her to become my sister-in-law. And now, all these years later, Sam-”

When he made the mistake to look at Cas right this second, the words stayed stuck in his throat. For a wild moment it all felt so very, _very_ real and it hurt him to even think about it - about how _true_ those words were. How this really _was_ their story - only that Cas would never know, never see it that way. And yet, when Cas smiled at him, Dean went on. 

“Sam introduced me to the man of my dreams.”

He did hear some of the women around them gush over his sweet words - though all he could take in right now was the way Cas’ blue eyes sparkled; how his thumb brushed softly over the back of Dean’s hand; and how his smile softened just that little bit more.

~*~

With his feelings all over the place after the conversation, Dean was glad when he got a moment’s break of pretending to be in love with Cas enough to convince, but not so much it would make the man suspicious - or break his own heart in the aftermath.

The break came in the form of Mildred complaining about never being asked for a dance anymore, ever since her husband had left her side. Dean, more than happy to be of service, had stepped right in, sweeping her away from the group and right onto the dance floor.

He enamored himself to the lady even further, if that was at all possible. Over the past months, his charity had already gotten two checks from her and something told him that the third would follow soon. For that alone, Dean was happy to keep Mildred on the dance floor for a fourth and even a fifth dance, until she was laughing merrily and telling him she needed a refreshment.

“I’m not the youngest one anymore, after all,” she added with a wink, to which Dean assured her she had nothing to worry about.

Escorting her over to the refreshment table, he excused himself once she had found a circle of friends, and quickly made his way to a side entrance. He had been on the 33rd floor of this building often enough to know his way around without floundering, and right now, his destination was one of the dozen little bathrooms.

He was still a few steps away when the door opened, revealing a young lady. Dean paid her no mind, of course - until the person decided to block his path. Looking at her, he didn’t have to wonder who it was at all, as the grey and rose mask gave her away instantly.

Kelly Richings.

“Well, if it isn’t the boy toy.”

Taken aback by such blatant animosity, Dean quickly composed himself. Despite the fact that he had moved around the upper circles of society for a few months now, there were still things that amazed him. How prone to drama some of them were, for example.

He tried his best not to cater to it, but still couldn’t refrain from looking around in an exuberant bored gesture. Finally, Dean looked back down at her, pointing at himself.

“Who? Me?”

It seemed Kelly was already annoyed. 

“Yes, you. Or do you see anyone else here sleeping with a CEO to get some lousy money?”

“I don’t know - I feel like I would be looking at one, if only the desire was mutual,” Dean shot back, knowing instantly that he had overstepped. 

Kelly might be a bitch - but she was also still the daughter of a potential business partner for Cas, one that Angel Corp had every interest in striking a deal with. For him to call Richings’ daughter a potential money whore most likely wouldn’t bode well in that regard.

“Listen, how about we cut that crap, alright? You don’t like me, fine - but no need to call me a boy toy or whatever it is. Let’s behave like adults, shall we?”

He thought he had sounded very grown up - but Kelly didn’t seem to agree.

“There is no reason to, actually. Not on my part,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed him up and down like a cockroach she was deciding if it was worth ruining her shoes to squish it. “Another three, maybe four months, tops, and Castiel will have enough of you. Sure, right now you’re his shiny new toy - the poor bad boy from the other side of town. But that novelty will wear off soon enough, and he’ll remember to value the circles he belongs in. Whatever you say, boy toy. Your time is running out.”

Dean had to swallow, and hard, trying not to let show how close to home her words had hit, and how much it fucking _hurt_. Forcing himself to remain calm and to keep his voice even, Dean replied.

“Maybe,” he said, satisfied about the surprise in her eyes. “What you say may very well be true. Our relationship is still pretty new, so yeah, maybe we’ll realize it’s not meant to be forever. Or maybe in half a year, we’ll decide we can’t be without the other and one of us will propose, who knows? Certainly not me, and _certainly_ not you. But,” Dean continued, taking one single step closer and raising to his full height. “One thing _is_ for certain. No matter what will become of Cas and me, _you_ will definitely _never_ share his bed. So how about you try to save what little dignity you have left and finally leave the man alone?” 

He raised an eyebrow at her, able to read in her eyes that his words stung and he couldn’t refrain himself from adding, “Or is that not something you value in your uptight circles? Dignity and self-respect, hm?” 

Kelly visibly seethed and Dean could see her biting her tongue. He was sure she would explode any minute now, and already tried to scramble for a good explanation when her yelling would draw in a crowd. To his amazement though, she simply snuffed at him, brushed past, and was gone in a whirlwind of rose and gray colors.

~*~

In an effort to calm down, Dean stayed in the bathroom for longer than strictly necessary, glad that no one waited in front of the door once he left it. With a quick detour to one of the many balconies overlooking New York, he let himself catch an ounce of fresh air. Thankfully, Dean soon felt calm enough again to step back into the big hall of glamour and music. It seemed that currently, the orchestra had decided on a few quicker beats and Dean smiled as he saw Jess and Sam on the dance floor, having fun during their Quickstep.

He let his eyes wander around, and thanks to the silly dress code idea Angel Corp had for their employees for evenings such as this - in which every department had to bow to a certain color code within their masks, matching suits and dresses optional - he was able to spot Cas within a heartbeat. While most departments had tame colors, such as blue for the lawyers or green for accounting, of course the Krushnics always had to go full out with their appearance. Being the only CEO present tonight, the silver-white mask and suit combination made Cas stand out like no one else. 

Chuckling to himself - and once again marvling over how much it made Cas resemble the image of an angel - Dean made his way over, already assessing the people flocking around the man.

Five people in particular set Dean on alert, three of which he could easily make out, despite their masks. There were Max and Alicia Banes, the twin heirs of a start-up Dean knew for sure their mother would love to see fused with Angel Corp. Next to Cas stood Hannah, who, while a lovely soul, still had shown her interest in Cas on numerous occasions. Dean didn’t know the other two – or at least, he didn’t recognize them – but it didn’t matter anyway. It seemed that with the last ball of the season, they were all throwing themselves at New York’s finest bachelor with renewed vigor.

Only, of course, Castiel Krushnic was not a bachelor anymore.

Not when it came to the media and the public, at least. 

Ready to dive in again and once more play the knight in shining armor, Dean stopped short when another person squeezed into the group, her grey and rose colored mask leaving no doubt that once again, Kelly Richings tried her luck.

By now, Dean was seriously getting pissed on Cas’ behalf. It might have been the first evening Dean had ever encountered this woman - but the fact alone that Cas had mentioned her in particular when preparing Dean for their charade, spoke volumes. 

Ready to storm in, and possibly make a scene, Dean caught the first notes of the next song. A very familiar song, or melody, rather, but it didn’t matter. Dean would recognize it anywhere. 

One of their many outings over the past months had brought them to Broadway - a place where Cas had discovered one of Dean’s many secrets.

His great love for musicals.

With a smile stealing itself on his lips, quickly turning into a wide grin, Dean took the last few steps up to the group.Without any preamble, he caught Cas’ hand, interrupting whatever Max had been about to say.

“I’m sorry for cutting in like this, ladies and gentlemen, but they’re playing our song! You’ll understand I must steal away my boyfriend for a moment.”

There was no question about some of them wanting to protest, but Dean didn’t give them a chance to. With Cas quite obviously eager to get away, there was no resistance as Dean pulled him away from the group, almost laughing about the fake apologetic smile Cas gave them all before following Dean.

Right onto the dancefloor.

Swallowing hard, Dean wanted to hit himself. It seemed he hadn’t thought this through well enough, but there was no backing out now as people still watched. In one fluid movement, he shoved away his feelings, ignored his beating heart, and pulled Cas in, twirling him once until he landed in his arms, neither hesitating to take position.

“You’re leading, then?” Cas asked with a smirk, and Dean chuckled, pulling the man closer.

“Does it matter? Just needs to look convincing, right?”

“I guess so,” Cas said quietly, following without a hitch when Dean led them into a Viennese Waltz to the melody of ‘Defying Gravity’.

When they got to a quieter pace within the song, Cas used the moment to smile at Dean.

“So, this is _our_ song now?”

“Hey, no teasing,” Dean replied, unable to stop the returning grin. “I had to get you out of there somehow, right?”

“Right. Still though, it’s rather… fitting.”

“I said, no teasing,” Dean replied with a laugh, pulling Cas closer as he led them into a quicker spin once the music allowed it again. 

It didn’t stop Cas from talking.

“I saw you dancing with Mildred Baker earlier. And for a long time - do I need to worry?” he asked with a wink, the teasing playfulness heavy in his voice. “Should I be jealous? Is she trying to steal away my boyfriend?”

Dean, who had begun to chuckle at Cas’ teasing, quickly changed direction, taking Cas by surprise. Enough so that he was able to use the momentum to fluently dip him low, Dean’s strong hold the only thing stopping Cas from crashing to the ground.

“Depends,” he said, gazing right into Cas’ wide eyes. For a wild second, he felt reckless. “Would you _let her_ steal me away?”

He might’ve imagined it - or maybe it was because Cas was afraid of tumbling to the ground - but he could have sworn Cas’ grip on him tightened minutely. 

And then, Cas uttered the most unexpected word.

“Never.”

Dean’s eyes grew wide but he caught himself quickly again. They were still in the middle of a dance - people might _still_ be watching them!

Pulling Cas back up, he got them moving into a close spin again, using Cas’ momentum to twirl him. As he led them back into position, Dean was unable to refrain from tucking Cas in just a tad closer.

“Good,” he replied, a smile around his lips. “Then you have nothing to be afraid of.” 

He could feel Cas’ breath dance across his skin as he huffed a short laugh, already back to following Dean’s lead - as if they had never done anything else but dance together.

Their banter turned lighter again after that - but they never stopped. Lost in teasing and conversation and laughter, neither of them noticed when the music changed into the next song. 

And the next.

And the next.

~*~

If Dean would have had any say in it, they would have kept dancing all night long. Sadly though, he knew that was impossible. Even if Cas gave off the impression that he didn’t want to stop either, eventually, he had to get back to doing whatever it was a CEO did during a masquerade. Striking deals, and earning money, the family business.

To Dean’s great dismay, the little group from before still stood together, quickly drawing them back in. Thankfully, though, they were joined now by some more faces that made Dean believe Cas was safe of too much unwanted attention.

Mildred was one of them, and to Dean’s great joy, he found her speaking to Jessica. By Jess’ animated gestures and Mildred’s enraptured gaze, Dean was sure she was talking about her job as a paramedic.

Sam was currently with another guy in a blue mask, indicating that he was a direct colleague of Sam’s in the same department. He even looked familiar but honestly, the fact that Kelly Richings basically hung on his lips and the guy enjoyed it, made Dean’s wish to know who the guy was close to zero.

Instead, he turned to the other new face to their group - a man Dean could honestly say he was happy to meet again.

“Mr. Richings, so nice to see you.”

Mirroring Richings’ smile, Dean stepped closer and reached for the offered hand, shaking it enthusiastically. Richings even clapped him on his shoulder before they let go. 

“Likewise, son. I hope all is going well? Save a lot of people, lately?”

“You know it,” Dean said, his mind momentarily wandering back to last night’s shift for the first time all evening. “Had a burning building just yesterday, saved a mother and her three kids. Honestly, it’s days like that which remind me why I’m doing this job.”

“Impressive. Very impressive,” Richings said, turning towards the people surrounding them. “This fine young man here is a firefighter, you know. Does a lot of good work.”

“A _firefighter_ , you say?” the guy next to Sam said, looking rather baffled.

Right away, Sam frowned at his colleague, but it seemed to be the opening Kelly had needed to sneer at Dean, while leaning further into Blue Mask. “Yes, indeed. I’ve been wondering the whole evening when he’ll slip up.”

“Slip up?” Cas grumbled, eyebrows knitting together. It was hard to make out behind the mask, but it seemed Dean knew the man well enough by now to see it in his eyes, and hear it in the tone of his voice, when the man was about to go off.

Quickly, he rested a hand on the small of Cas’ back, telling him wordlessly that it was alright. It wasn’t the first time these rich people had poked fun at his ‘lower standing’.

Blue Mask went on, seemingly to have taken Kelly’s comment as an invitation to show off his real douchiness. “And how can a _firefighter_ afford such a luxurious lifestyle of masquerades and expensive costume parties? I do bet the mask alone would have cost more than your usual paycheck.”

Chuckling at his own poor joke, Blue Mask quickly noticed that most of their company appeared to be rather affronted by such audacity. Dean could already see Jess gearing up, as well as Mildred - even Richings turned towards the guy, probably to give him an earful.

But Dean had always been the type of man to fight his own battles.

Fixating Blue Mask with his gaze, he let a smile steal itself on his lips.

“Oh, well, you know,” he said, making sure to silence everyone else while keeping his voice even. “I do sleep with the right people.”

The reactions all around him were _epic_.

While most eyes went wide and some chins dropped, some people who had been about to nip on their champagnes choked on them instead. Jess was the first to outright laugh while Sam rolled his eyes but was unable to hide his grin. Right next to him, Dean could hear Cas chuckle and while the rest of them still stared at Dean, flabbergasted, he solely held Blue Mask’s gaze, even going so far as to throw him a wink.

The spell for the rest of their company was broken when Richings’ booming laughter joined Jessica’s, followed right away by Mildred’s and quickly after by some more, until finally, all but Kelly and Blue Mask dissolved in laughter.

When they calmed down, Richings clapped him on the back, gripping his shoulder.

“Son, I do love your kind of humor.”

“Thanks, Mr. Richings. But even so, in all seriousness,” he said, making sure the whole of their group paid attention, “While Cas _does_ spoil me from time to time, he also knows it’s not needed.” 

Turning to Cas, he pulled him closer to his side. “I’m here for him. Not his money or the company.”

“Which makes it all the more wonderful to only give you the best,” Cas replied.

Once again, Dean was terribly close to leaning in for a real kiss. Not only did the moment call for it so, _so_ much - his feelings were also calling for it, Cas’ alluring smile drawing him in further. At the last moment though, he was able to change course, pressing a kiss to Cas’ cheek instead.

“Thank you, sweetcheeks,” he added in a stage whisper, attempting to lighten the mood from the heavy feelings.

Cas’ growl about the disliked pet name was somewhat lost as Jess finally broke. She handed Blue Mask his ass - in a very sophisticated and ladylike way, of course - by asking him just how well his money would save his stuck up ass when his house was burning down around him. Once again, Mildred had a good laugh, while Dean could see Sam rotating between trying to stay professional and being his true self, laughing about his wife’s words.

It all quickly turned into a debate about the importance of firefighters and first responders in general. At some point, Sam finally turned towards his colleague and burst out with a very unprofessional, “Dude! That’s my _wife_ and _brother_ you’re talking about!” 

The whole discussion was led mainly by Richings - “Men like Dean, who risk their lives to keep us safe, they should be paid more. Wouldn’t you agree?” - and Mildred, and soon turned into an advertising campaign for not only their job but Dean’s charity as well. He was left watching with a wide grin as Richings and Mildred single-handedly wrangled a check out of Blue Mask for Dean’s charity, joined quickly by a few of the others. Dean had nothing to do except take the checks and elaborate on some of the finer details about their jobs - along with a few anecdotes about past cases.

It was after the retelling of a particularly heavy job - a fire in a warehouse that held barrels of inflammable toxins but also housed homeless people, which Dean and his crew had all saved - that Richings spoke again.

“I think I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I can only imagine the fear Castiel must be living through, every time you’re on shift.”

Dean was about to reply when Cas spoke up.

“I can honestly say, I could _not_ have imagined all the horrors of this job before I met Dean. Or how it feels to have your partner be an active firefighter. But ever since…” 

Dean found those impressive blue eyes on him, so much sincerity in them that he had to force himself for the umpteenth time to remember that all of this was nothing more than an act. 

But by God, how he wished it to be true.

“Ever since, I’m relieved whenever I get a message from him that he’s safe. And I can only really breathe again once he’s back in my arms.”

Swallowing hard, Dean made sure to stay in character, pulling Cas closer still. He knew not all of it was a lie, of course. They _did_ text from time to time, especially after something big had happened during his shift, something big enough to make the news and Cas hearing about it. He even believed that Cas was worried for him sometimes - over the course of the past three months, they _had_ become friends, after all.

But if, for only a moment, he pretended Cas meant every word in the way Dean wished for it - well, then that was between himself and his heart alone.


	2. With the Last Echo of the Last Bell...

Stepping out onto one of the multiple balconies all around the ballroom and overlooking the lights of New York City was a welcome change after all that had happened within the past few hours. Despite all the drama and the condescending remarks, despite some of the people being uptight and downright annoying, Dean could honestly say that he was enjoying the evening more than he had anticipated. 

It was honestly very surprising. 

Taking a deep breath of the cool night air, he leaned against the railing. By now, the masquerade had been in full swing for quite a few hours, and Dean couldn’t believe just how quickly the time had passed.

How quick it went by when he didn’t want the night to ever end.

Dean wasn’t stupid though. He knew a big part of the reason he had enjoyed himself so very much was the man at his side through it all. He reckoned he could be deep in the bowels of hell, or stuck in Purgatory, and be enjoying himself so long as Cas was by his side.

Turning around, Dean leaned his backside against the railing, able to make out Cas - silver attire be blessed - now that his view included the ballroom. The squeezing sensation around his heart grew tenfold. 

A wiser man than Dean would have probably accepted that it was time for him to finally face the truth. To accept that his time with Cas was running out, no matter how much he wished for it to be otherwise.

But, this was no fairytale. No Cinderella story or a Pretty Woman reenactment… not that Dean was a charity case. He might run one, but he wasn’t one himself. Despite how some people might look at him. He had always been pleased that Cas had never once treated him like one either. Cas had always been respectful towards him; and since some of their conversations had taken place while they were alone and on their way to various functions, Dean knew not all of it had been for the sake of their charade. 

It still didn’t mean that it changed anything. Their time was up and Dean couldn’t help but be wistful about it.

Especially when Cas caught his gaze over the heads of the crowd and sent him a smile that was so very clearly meant for him only. Dean watched as he interrupted the person he was currently speaking to and excused himself, only to come sauntering over and onto the balcony.

On his way, Cas grabbed two fresh glasses of champagne and handed one to Dean once he was leaning against the railing next to him.

“Hey there,” he said, smiling at Dean before raising his glass.

Dean knew Cas had absolutely no idea what he was doing to him but that certainly didn’t lessen the effect. Still, Dean returned the smile and raised his glass as well, letting it  _ clink _ against Cas’.

“Hey yourself. Successful evening, so far?”

“Successful season, I would say,” Cas replied, taking a sip. “Made a few very lucrative business deals over the past few months.” Looking back at Dean, his smile grew softer. “And it might sound over the top but… I honestly feel like I couldn’t have done it without you. So thank you, Dean. For everything.”

“Oh, please,” Dean said, unable to stop his bashful grin - or the heat rising in his neck. “You’re exaggerating.”

“I’m not, actually. Not only did you help me keep unwanted attention at bay - leading to me being able to focus on the business stuff - you also made quite an impression on these people.”

At that, Dean snorted. “And that’s a good thing?”

“Of course it is,” Cas assured, squinting at him. After a moment, he added, “A  _ good _ impression, Dean. Whatever it is you’re thinking, you’re mistaken. They like you!”

When Dean threw him a raised eyebrow, Cas rolled his eyes. He took another sip from his champagne and then pointed at Dean, glass still in hand.

“Dean, I’m being serious with you. Do you really think Richings and Mildred are the only ones that like you? You might not have noticed yet, but the High Society of New York is a pool of gossip. So yes, many others have already heard of my boyfriend, the ‘dashing firefighter’, who runs a charity. Even if you haven’t met them yet in person. They’ve either read about you in the newspapers or magazines or they know people who  _ have  _ met you - and all tell the same tale. That you're a genuinely nice and kind person. So when I say they like you, I mean it.” 

“Yeah, as your  _ boyfriend _ ,” Dean replied, a note of bitterness stealing itself into his voice. He couldn’t help it, as once more, he was reminded that after tonight, it would all be over. The jig would be up and he would return back to his normal life. 

With the strike of midnight, all the magic would be gone, or whatever.

Not that he cared about that, of course. Not when he had gained so much out of this; over the past few months, he had gotten his charity a lot of new donations. They would be able to help a lot of families and launch a few more projects. And even if he had no idea how the future of the charity would look once the media got wind of their ‘break-up’ - that still wasn’t his biggest issue with it all.

No, it was leaving Cas’ side. Leaving behind the man he knew very well he could be falling in love with.

Or maybe, he already was...

His thoughts were interrupted when Cas pushed away from the railing and stepped closer, right into Dean’s personal space, and put a hand on his arm. “No, Dean. You don’t understand. All I did was to open these doors for you. It was  _ you  _ who stepped through.  _ You _ , who convinced these people to give their money, freely, to your cause. You’re not a nobody and you never were, so stop selling yourself short. People with a lot of influence and money know your name now. I get that you might not have noticed this, since you’re new to all of it - but you  _ did _ leave quite an impression these past few months. Good impressions. Impressions that have nothing to do with me.”

Unable to hold Cas’ intense gaze any longer, Dean looked away, but Cas’ gaze was chasing his.

“Dean, your name is not interwoven with mine, not anymore. Not to most of them. Yes, sure, to the media, you’re still ‘Castiel Krushnic’s boyfriend’ - but not to them. Not the people who have all the money. To them, you’re Dean Winchester, the firefighter with a heart of gold.”

At that, Dean scoffed, finally looking back at Cas.

“You serious?”

“As I’ve said, quite an impression you’ve made.”

Cas’ gaze was so honest, so open, that for a moment, Dean had to remind himself that they weren’t  _ actually _ a couple. That Cas was speaking as his  _ friend _ right now, not his lover.

It made him even more bitter...

“Well, we’ll see about that once the news of our ‘break-up’ comes out, ey?” he replied, putting on a smile that was so fake Cas’ eyes softened once more.

He seemed to think about his next words.

“Actually... there was something I wanted to talk to you about. Regarding our contract. I was thinking-”

Before he could finish his thought, their calm little bubble was broken by a couple of people rushing onto the balcony, paying them no mind as they laughed and chatted while they enjoyed the scenery of the New York skyline around them.

“Never mind. This can wait until later,” Cas mumbled, just loud enough for Dean to catch, before he looked back up at Dean, his demeanour suddenly changing.

“There’s some more people I wanted to introduce you to. They’re very interested in meeting you - and it might just prove my point. Have you got a minute?” Cas added, his smile turning mischievous.

No, no he didn’t. Not right now. Not after Cas had hinted at wanting to talk about their contract. Dean wished he could ask him what that had been about. But Cas was beaming at him - that brilliant look on his face that Dean could not ignore - and he was powerless against it. So all he did was to shrug and immediately Cas took his hand, pulling him into the ballroom. 

As always, Dean followed without hesitation. Right during his very first gala, he had learned to never question Cas or to ask who it was he was going to meet. Either Cas would tell him in time, or he wanted to surprise him, in either scenario he wouldn’t get a single word out of Cas until he wanted to tell him. But he had learned that the suspense was always more than worth it. 

Cas was pulling him across what felt like the entire room, only occasionally stopping to greet some important people, but never losing the focus of where he wanted to go. When Dean realized the group he was aiming for, he looked closer and -

Stopped abruptly, halting Cas in the process.

“Holy shit, Cas, is that-”

Grinning, Cas winked at him. “It is, come on. As I said, they want to meet you.”

“Cas, no. That is- that’s-”

Right away, Cas turned towards him fully, stepping into his space so that he could see only Cas. It halted the nerves and trepidation that had been building within him.

“Dean, do you trust me?”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

Looking right into those blue eyes behind a silver mask, Dean was unable to do anything else but to swallow thickly and nod.

“Good,” Cas replied. “Then trust me when I tell you that it’s  _ okay _ . Can you do this? Can you trust me this much?”

When once again Dean nodded, Cas’ smile grew bigger.

“Good, now come on. A few heirs of the Rockefeller family want to meet you.”

##  ~*~

Dean’s thoughts were still partly occupied by Cas’ comment about their contract, but within seconds of stepping up to the Rockefeller party and Dean being introduced to some of the heirs of that great legacy, he was caught in conversations with various members of the clan. It took him a long time to realize that Cas was hardly part of all the chatter, the Rockefellers and their company were solely focused on Dean and his tales. To his shame, it took him even longer to notice that at one point, Cas had left his side. And still, the Rockefellers were talking to  _ him _ .

It was then that Dean had to admit to himself that this was not the first time something like this had happened. It hadn’t even been the first time this evening, much less over the course of the past three months.

Maybe Cas had been right.

Maybe, at the end of the day, he had gotten far more out of their deal than just a few donations to his charity.

Speaking of donations; it was after a good while of talking amicably to the group that none other than David Rockefeller Jr. himself handed Dean a business card, telling him to get in contact with one of his lawyers about a large donation he would be sure to mention to them on Monday. 

Shortly after, the man was caught up in conversation with someone else, and Dean himself was pulled aside by another acquaintance; one he had made at a charity football game Cas had taken him to just last month. From there, Dean made his rounds, speaking with people here and there and even sharing a few more dances with various people, most of all Jess and Mildred, of course. 

Every so often, he caught sight of Cas, usually deep in conversation, never in need of being saved by Dean - but still always able to catch Dean’s eyes. As if he had been watching him, merely waiting for Dean to gaze in his direction...

Midnight was drawing closer, though the masquerade gala was far from its climax. Events like these, as Dean well knew, were prone to take all night and the last attendee would not leave until the early morning hours.

At one point, Sam had approached him and Jess, letting them know that Cas and he would be busy for a short while - apparently, there were contracts that needed to be signed and could not wait until Monday. Not that either of them really cared about the specifics of the deals when Sam attempted to tell them why.

“Let our men do their work, if it can’t be helped,” Jess exclaimed, already pulling Dean away from his brother. “I want to dance.”

And dancing they did. So much so, that Dean hardly noticed when Sam returned. It was only when his brother cut in, playfully shoving him aside and demanding his wife back, that Dean wondered where Cas had gotten too. Since Sam was unable to give him a satisfying answer - he had left the office before Cas and Richings, not needed once the signatures were dry. While both men stayed to enjoy one of Cas’ fine cognacs - Dean felt the need to search for his elusive fake boyfriend.

Though when a full sweep around the hall didn’t bring up anything, he had half a mind to give up. More than likely, Cas was stuck somewhere again, striking up new business deals or securing good relationships for future ones. However, an inner voice told him to go on. What if Cas  _ was _ stuck somewhere, only with an unwanted suitor and not a business partner?

Turning another corner, Dean was about to sprint up one of the side staircases to get a better view from the gallery when his eyes fell on two people on an outside balcony. 

They were surrounded by darkness, though what little light fell on them from inside was more than enough to make Dean’s heart stop.

For the light fell on a silver white suit jacket and a silver mask. He couldn’t discern much more but it was enough for him to know it was Cas…

… holding none other than Kelly Richings in his arms.

In this moment, Dean could feel his heart grow heavy and burst into a million pieces when he saw Cas lean down and  _ kiss  _ Kelly with absolutely no restraint. Her hands came up to bury themselves in Cas’ dark hair and Dean felt nauseous.

Unable to watch the shadowy figures any longer, he went back the way he had come, rushing down the long corridor. He needed to get out of here, needed to get far away. Or else he might just throw up. His thoughts and feelings were all over the place, because what the  _ actual hell _ ?

Why?

_ Why _ would Cas put up this whole charade? Why play this masquerade with a fake boyfriend - if he ended up with  _ exactly _ the person he had been trying to get rid off from the start?

“Hey, Dean, whoa. What’s wrong?”

Coming to an abrupt halt and glancing toward the voice, Dean saw Jess with her eyes full of concern, Sam right beside her. For a second, he was tempted to hug her close and tell them both what he had seen. But what would it help? What would it change?

It was what it was - a business deal and nothing else. No matter what Jess had read into it; no matter what he had hoped for.

“Nothing, just beat,” he rasped out and  _ fuck _ , was he close to tears?

“Beat? Dean, it’s hardly midnight,” Sam replied, looking unconvinced.

A fact that did not deter Dean in the slightest. Clearing his throat to strengthen his voice, he went on. “Yeah, well, we’ve been here since when? Six or something. I’m done. Can you give me your keycard? I’ll just grab my stuff from your office and call it a night.”

“Dean-” Jess began, but stopped when Dean held out his hand to Sam.

“The card, Sam?”

He could see all the questions his brother was  _ dying _ to ask - and which he refrained himself from, to Dean’s great astonishment. Instead, he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out his keycard, handing it over to Dean without fuss.

Nodding once in thanks, Dean left without another word and moved on. 

Obviously, he needed Sam's keycard to get inside his office. But thanks to this, he was also able to pass by the public elevators and head for the private one only very few people could use. It had direct access to the CEO level of the building and given the right security clearance, also to the CEO’s penthouse above it.

Angry with himself for letting his thoughts stray in that direction, Dean swiped the card and pushed the button to summon the elevator, thankful that he didn’t have to wait long. Once inside, he pressed the button to the 73rd floor and then let himself slump against the elevator’s wall.

What a fucking clusterfuck.

Finally alone, Dean had to fight back his damn tears. He didn’t  _ want _ to cry, but Jesus, fuck, Goddamnit!

Kicking the wall behind him, he tried everything to rid himself of the image of Cas kissing Kelly.

Nothing worked and the damn ride up was cruelly slow, taking far longer than Dean had ever remembered it. Once he  _ finally _ made it to the correct floor, he rushed to Sam’s fancy corner office and grabbed his bag. Eyes wandering around swiftly, Dean made sure he hadn’t left anything lying around from when they all had gotten ready in here.

He didn’t want to make a return trip.

Sure that he had all his belongings, Dean made his way back to the elevator and once again swiped the card to summon it. As it seemed, it had moved during the short time Dean had been gone and he waited impatiently, tapping his foot as he waited for it to arrive. He took a deep breath when the  _ ding _ finally announced its return.

Only to have the air punched from his lungs when the doors opened, revealing none other than Castiel himself. The man looked deep in thought, then surprised that his ride had stopped - but the moment his eyes fell on Dean, a smile spread across his face.

“Dean, hey! What are you-”

Dean could see the moment Cas’ eyes landed on the bag in his hand, the smile falling and a frown clouding his eyes right away.

“What-?”

“Just go on, I’ll catch the next one.”

“Dean, what’s wrong?”

The door chose that moment to try and close but Cas was quick to block it. The move brought him closer to Dean, and he involuntarily stepped back. Wanting to be as far from the potential hurt as possible. 

“Nothing’s  _ wrong _ , Castiel! I just think it’s time for me to go. So have a nice life.”

Turning around, Dean took a few steps in the direction of the public elevators, only to be stopped by a hand catching his lower arm.

“Dean, what happened?”

“What happened?” Dean echoed, ripping his arm away and facing Cas in raging disbelief. Watching the man, he was surprised to find honest irritation there.

Surprised… and absolutely furious!

Dean snarled, “I’ll tell you what  _ happened _ . I fucking  _ saw _ you! I saw you, Cas!”

“Oh-kay?” Cas replied, the information obviously not ringing any bells for him.

“With Kelly!” 

The frown in Cas’ eyes deepened but Dean was on a roll now.

“Look, I know this between us,” he said, pointing between them, “Means nothing to you but a good business deal. And that’s fine, really.” 

It wasn’t, of course, but Cas didn’t need to know that. And Dean really wished he would’ve sounded more convincing. 

“It’s fine!” he added with emphasis, trying to convince himself as much as Cas. “But I had expected at least  _ some _ degree of decency,  _ some _ kind of civility, for you to  _ not _ let people think you’re  _ cheating on me _ !”

“ _ What _ ?”

“But, hey, if  _ that’s _ how you want to make our ‘break-up’ convincing, go for it. At least  _ I’m  _ not coming out the asshole in this.”

“Dean, hold up! What are you talking about?”

Dean looked at the man in disbelief.

“Are you really gonna play dumb with me?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about! I’ve been in my office with Richings up until a few minutes ago and then wrote an email to my brothers to let them know- never mind,” he interrupted himself. “Point is, I was  _ just now _ on my way back down. So whatever it is you think you saw - it wasn’t me!”

“Yeah, sure. Your fancy silver mask and suit tell a different story.”

“What?”

Scoffing, Dean moved past the man, eager to get away. With any luck, the private elevator was still here, giving him a quicker out.

“You really think I’m that dumb, right?” he accused as he once more swiped that stupid card and hit that fucking button. 

Of course, someone else had decided to call this elevator. Just his luck. 

“How many guys in a similar dress code like yours have you seen tonight, huh? How many other CEOs are running around this masquerade? Cause last I checked, you were the only one in your fancy angel-like attire!”

“Dean, are you… are you  _ jealous _ ?”

Dean rounded on him, hardly able to keep his anger in check.

“No, Cas, I’m not fucking  _ jealous _ ! I’m angry. And I feel used! Why this whole charade,  _ why _ ? If you end up with Richings’ daughter after all, why have me play your boyfriend to get rid of her?  _ Why _ ?”

“Dean, I  _ swear _ -”

“Don’t lie to me. At least give me that much respect.”

“I  _ do  _ respect you!” Cas barked back, seemingly reaching his breaking point as well. “I don’t lie! And I would  _ never _ cheat on you,  _ ever _ . I despise people who feel the need to do that, and it’s the last thing I would ever do to you. Same goes for lying. That’s just not who I am. Please believe that. Believe  _ me. _ ”

Something about what Cas said gave Dean pause, and it took him a moment to realize… Cas had made it sound as if he was talking to an actual partner. Someone he cared for in a romantic way. No hinting at the fake nature of their relationship. At all.

Swallowing, Dean tried to sort through his thoughts, and he had to do it quickly. Which was a hard thing to do when Cas was looking at him with such honest eyes, searching, trying to understand what was happening between them.

For the first time, Dean stopped to think about what really he had seen and if maybe there was another explanation for it. If Cas had been in his office this whole time…

It seemed he had been quiet long enough for Cas to interpret it as a good sign; maybe there was something in his face that said he was rethinking everything, because Cas took a step in his direction.

“You believe me, don’t you?”

Looking away, Dean rubbed a hand over his mouth, still fighting with the warring feelings inside of him.

“Dean, please.”

“I do,” he finally spoke, the words out before he had even made the conscious decision to say it. But they rang with so much truth. Looking up, he found Cas even closer and Dean had to swallow before he could speak again. “Yeah, I do, I’m sorry. I… I shouldn’t have-”

“No, don’t apologize. Never apologize for your feelings. Dean, I’m not disregarding them because obviously, you saw something that upset you. And… if it really  _ had been _ me, you’d had any right to be pissed at me like this.”

“I- I guess I should’ve known though… I’m sorry. I think- this whole…  _ arrangement _ , I think it’s messing with me. It’s messing with my head and- and…”

“Your feelings?” Cas asked quietly, drawing ever closer, stepping into his personal space by now, stealing away Dean’s breath as he held his gaze.

Cas paused for a second and Dean could see his eyes flicking all over Dean’s face, searching for something. Wetting his lips, he began to speak.

“When… when I mentioned earlier that I wanted to talk about this arrangement…”

Dean swallowed, hard. He had never known Cas to scramble for words like this, had never seen him to appear… nervous?

Cas was nervous?

“Yeah?” he finally breathed, wanting nothing more than for Cas to finish his thought.

“What I meant… I mean, what I wanted to ask you-”

For some god damn reason, it seemed the universe didn’t want Cas to finish this thought, ever. Dean had already forgotten he’d summoned the elevator again, but of course it chose this very moment to reach their floor once more, doors opening with a soft  _ ping _ . He wanted to ignore it, until - 

“Cassie!”

The boisterous exclamation left Dean no other choice but to look towards the opened door to see whoever it was that had just reached their floor.

Only to be met by startling blue eyes, so similar and yet so different from Cas’. What really threw him for the loop though, was the silver-white mask around those eyes, and the off-white suit jacket.

“I was just on my way up to your office to look for you,” the man went on, gesticulating expansively with his champagne flute in hand. “What are you doing on-” he looked around the hallway, “-well, whatever this floor is?”

“Michael!” Cas finally interrupted and Dean’s eyes snapped back to him in shock. It took him a moment to see the small grin around Cas’ lips. “I see you’ve finally found the time to join us. And that you haven’t lost your tendency to be fashionably late.”

“Ah well, you know me. A party never really starts until midnight.”

“Clearly,” Cas said, chuckling by now. “I take it you’ve already… made your rounds?” His eyes flicked over to Dean, who was still staring dumbstruck between the two men in silver white.

He had always known the Krushnic brothers had striking similarities in their appearances - he had just never realized just how  _ close _ in looks they really were. Especially in the darkness of a hardly lit balcony. Or with their silver masks still donned.

For the first time that night, Dean cursed the fun dress code of the company for this masquerade, explaining why both CEOs were running around in silver white, like the angels the brothers and their company was named after.

While he was still speechless, Michael stepped out of the elevator, a joyful grin on his lips. “I guess you can say that. On that note, care to officially introduce me to your boyfriend?”

“Absolutely,” Cas replied, grinning at Dean. “Michael, meet Dean Winchester. Dean,  _ honey _ , meet one of my brothers, Michael Krushnic.”

“Ha! Gabe will hate me for beating him to meet you,” Michael said as he held out his hand for Dean, momentarily turning towards Cas to add, “He’s downstairs as well, by the way, entertaining people. Absolutely enjoying your dress code idea as well.”

“Ohh, so  _ another _ Krushnic running around in silver and white… let’s hope no one mistakes him for me,” Cas replied, his amusement so clear and visible as he glanced at Dean, that he had a hard time stopping himself from rolling his eyes - or containing his blush, the heat crawling up his neck unstoppable.

To derail from that, Dean shook Michael’s hand with a tad more force than probably necessary. Not that the man seemed to mind.

“Mr. Krushnic, nice to meet you.”

“Oh please, Mr. Krushnic was our father. Call me Michael. I mean, we’re practically family now, right? Any guy who’s able to get Cassie’s attention like  _ you  _ did is definitely destined to carry the Krushnic name sooner or later.”

“Thanks, Michael, for making me sound like some kind of virginial princess waiting for her knight in shining armor to save her from solitude.”

“Anytime,” Michael said, releasing Dean’s hand to clap his brother on the shoulder. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Just wanted to quickly say hello. Dean,” he added, pointing at him with his champagne flute. “Nice finally meeting you. Let’s get together over lunch sometime and chat. Same for you, Cassie.”

“Absolutely,” Cas replied. When Michael turned to summon the elevator again - which had apparently moved on to the top level, Michael’s original destination - he added. “Also, please go and use one of the other elevators. Dean and I were on our way upstairs.”

Michael looked between the two of them for a second, grin turning wider. “Sure thing. Wouldn’t want to interrupt that.”

“No, you really wouldn’t,” Cas replied, a similar grin on his lips. 

With a mock-salute, Michael went to saunter down the hallway in the direction of the community elevators. A few steps down though, he turned back around and called out to Cas. “Hey, I meant to ask, how’s the Richings deal coming along?”

“Which one do you mean?” Cas replied, obviously reveling in teasing his brother. “The one I just signed with Richings senior?... or the one you, well, ‘talked’ about with his daughter?”

“Ah,” Michael huffed, “I see we’ve been spotted. Oh well. You don’t mind, right? I know she was after you, but, well, seeing how you have Dean now-”

“Michael, by all means,” Cas interrupted with a chuckle. “Go for it. The Richings deal is sealed. Just be tactful about it when you eventually dump her, will you?”

“I always am,” Michael exclaimed, sounding affronted for Cas possibly thinking anything else of him. “What do you take me for? Gabe’s the scoundrel amongst us.”

“Point taken. Now if you would kindly leave? Dean and I were, well, how would you call it? Right in the middle of something?”

Michael rolled his eyes at that. “In the middle of the hallway? I thought you had a bit more class than that.”

“Well, the elevator was still occupied,” Cas teased back, making his brother laugh as he turned back around and finally moved along the hallway and around the next corner.

The silence between them was so heavy, Dean swore he heard the  _ ping _ from one of the elevators far down the hallways, likely indicating that Michael was gone.

It was only broken when Cas’ soft chuckle reached his ear. Instantly, he looked up at him, indeed finding Cas trying to stifle his mirth.

“Are you…” Dean began, unable to find words at first. “Is this- are you  _ laughing _ about this?”

“Yes,” Cas squeezed out between barely contained laughs, even nodding his head.

Dean stared at him, trying hard not to let Cas’ infectious mirth get to him. “Unbelievable. You’re  _ laughing _ at me. For mistaking your brother for you.” 

That pulled a real laugh from Cas. One that echoed around the empty hallway and caused Dean to grin as well.

“I saw him  _ kissing _ Kelly and I thought it was you - and you laugh about my pain,” he added, unable to stop his chuckles.

“I’m sorry,” Cas wheezed out, visibly trying to rein in his laughing fit. “I’m sorry, it’s just-” 

When he dissolved into laughter again, Dean just stood there. He had no idea why - but somehow he knew that Cas’ laughter could only mean good things. Already, the heaviness around his heart lifted, not an ounce of doubt left about where this might be heading.

“You little fucker,” he said affectionately. “You’re actually enjoying this.”

“Yeah,” Cas admitted, wiping at his eyes.

“Unbelievable. You enjoy my jealousy.”

“I thought you weren’t jealous,” Cas challenged, laughter slowly calming down as he raised one eyebrow, stepping closer again, back into Dean’s very personal space.

“Are you kidding?” Dean challenged right back, not backing down. “I’ve never been so jealous in my damn life.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear.”

Dean had hardly any time to take in those words as his back hit the closed elevator door, Cas pressing into his space. Their lips were so incredibly close, drawing forth and back, gazes wandering between lips and eyes.

Somewhere down the hall, laughter rang around, and Dean wanted to  _ fucking scream _ . It looked like Cas was right there with him, as he closed his eyes for a second, a silent swear falling from his lips. 

Quickly, he pulled out his keycard and swiped it to get them back their damn elevator. They could hear the group drawing closer, not daring to move, not even one bit. The moment was intense, the fire between them blazing and flaring. Of course, no one would say anything, should they get ‘caught’. It seemed though Cas shared his desire to be in private right now.

The group was drawing ever closer; somewhere in the middle of all this, Dean could hear a clock chime midnight.

The moment the door opened behind his back, Cas pushed him in, not leaving him an ounce of space as he once more collided with the wall. Absentmindedly, Cas slammed the button to his penthouse and was already looking back at Dean by the time the door finally, finally closed. There was so much desire burning in his eyes that Dean had a hard time focusing on anything else.

There was just one small detail…

“Wait,” he whispered as Cas already leaned in, their lips almost brushing.

Confused, Cas drew back, but Dean never lost his smile and he was sure Cas could tell that everything was alright between them.

Except for this minor detail…

Reaching up, Dean slowly took down Cas’ mask, smile turning shy as he was sure Cas would understand why he did this. The warmth seeping into Cas’ gaze confirmed as much and in a similar tender gesture, he mirrored Dean’s move, taking off Dean’s mask. 

“I’ve been meaning to ask this whole time,” he whispered, his breath ghosting across Dean’s lips. “Would you mind a change in our contract? I very much would love to scratch the word ‘fake’.”

A laugh slipped past Dean’s lips.

“I’m all for it.”

“Or better yet,” Cas went on, moving his head just so, Dean turning his, chasing lips he finally wanted to taste. “How about we rip it apart?”

“Done,” Dean whispered back, and as he leaned in, so did Cas, their lips meeting in a kiss that was at the same time hot with hunger and sweet with tenderness.

He barely noticed the door behind them opening. All there was was Cas’ lips and warmth, his body and his hands, guiding him forward. Dean went without hesitation, carelessly dropping his bag onto the floor somewhere - as if he had any brain cells left to care for such unimportant things.

At one point, they must have both dropped the masks to the floor because when Dean went tumbling down, both his hands were on Cas’ and Cas’ hands were on him. He had no idea where they were, but Cas was sitting on something and all Dean cared about was that he was straddling him, moving impossibly closer.

Cas’ hands were at the small of his back, holding him tight as their kisses turned more and more heated.

He could feel Cas grow hard under him and Dean himself wasn’t far behind - only that neither of them made any kind of move to take care of it. Dean didn’t bother to search for an explanation. Right now, he was more than happy and content simply making out with Cas like this.

Eventually, they both slowed down, their deep kisses turning into something softer until in the end, it became petal-soft brushes of their lips against skin. When Dean was ready to open his eyes, he was met with a dazed, sappy gaze from Cas and a lopsided smile. His hair was even messier than usual -  _ whoops  _ \- and his lips were positively kiss-swollen. Enjoying the picture far too much, Dean leaned back in for a few more kisses.

When he ended them, Cas’ hand lingered on his cheek and neck, apparently as unwilling to let him move far away as Dean was unwilling to actually lean back. Instead, he rested his forehead against Cas’.

“You have no idea how much I want to rip those clothes from you,” Cas whispered. “Drag you to my bedroom. Or better yet, devour you right here.”

“You have no idea how much I want you to do exactly that. But it’ll have to wait.”

“That doesn’t sound fair,” Cas whined - actually freaking  _ whined _ , enticing a chuckle from Dean.

“Agreed. But you have a party going on.”

“Urgh. But my brothers are there now.”

“People would still notice your absence. Plus, you’re a control freak who needs to overlook everything himself.”

“I get the impression you  _ want _ us to go downstairs again,” Cas threw in, actually pouting now.

And dear God, Dean was so done for. Who would have thought… A business shark such as Castiel freaking Krushnic, being an adorable dork within his own four walls.

Again, Dean chuckled about Cas’ antics.

“Far from it,” he promised. “But I’ve been around you for long enough. I know  _ you _ and I know how this game goes, sweetcheeks.”

“Oh  _ hell _ no! I let you say it as part of the act. You will  _ not _ keep calling me that now.”

Chuckling again, Dean brushed a hand through Cas’ wild mane in a doomed attempt to straighten it out some. When he caught his gaze again, Cas was scowling at him, which only intensified when Dean winked at him.

“Alright, fine, sweet-” the scowl deepened and Dean grinned at the sight of it, “-heart.”

“Oh,” Cas breathed out, the scowl instantly morphing into a genuine smile. “Mhhh, I think I like that one,” he admitted, drawing Dean in for another kiss.

“Good. Cause if you ask me, you'll be hearing it for a very long time.”

The kiss with which Cas sealed that promise gave Dean the impression that his boyfriend very much agreed with him.

##  ~*~

In the end,they were there for another half an hour trading lazy kisses before Dean finally pulled away enough that Cas couldn’t easily kiss him from his position beneath Dean. 

“Come on, we should get going before someone comes looking for us.” He said, grinning at Cas’ pout. “I’ve heard enough about your brother Gabriel to not want to be caught in a compromising position by him.”

“Compromising, huh?” smirked Cas, “that can be arranged…”

Dean gave him a look and Cas sighed.

“Alright, you’re right, I don’t want that either. We will  _ never _ hear the end of it from Gabe. Michael I might be able to blackmail, but Gabriel has no shame.”

Cas made no move to get up though and Dean cocked his head as he saw him chew almost nervously on his lip. “If we go…” Cas began, “will we come back? I mean- will you stay the night?”

Cas looked up at him then, meeting his eye and Dean could see the slight nerves hidden in his questioning gaze. 

Swallowing, he nodded, “Well, I mean, my stuff’s already here…”

He wasn’t able to finish as Cas’ hands swept up his back and fastened behind his neck, pulling him back down into a demanding kiss. And fuck it all if Dean just wanted to surrender entirely to this man right here and now. Screw the ball. 

But they were adults, not randy teenagers. And they could be responsible. As much as it fucking sucked. So they stopped and pulled back, panting slightly as they stood and grinned at each other. Their eyes promising everything that would come later. 

After a short stop in the bathroom to make sure they both looked presentable again - or rather, as presentable as one could get with kiss-swollen lips and sappy smiles - they made their way back to the elevator, Dean making sure to pick up their masks from where they had been dropped in the entryway.

They didn’t put them back on until the very last moment, rather enjoying holding onto one another as they gazed into each other's eyes for the entire elevator ride. 

Maybe it was the butterflies all flying rampant inside of Dean, or the cloud nine he was currently walking on - but if someone had asked him later what had happened at the ball after they returned, he would have been hard pressed to give any more details than that he had danced with Cas most of the time. 

What little time they weren’t floating across the dance floor was spent in a rather similar fashion than before midnight. Before Dean’s world had been completely turned upside down.  _ Everything  _ had changed.

However, it was only them that noticed the change - as for the rest of the partygoers they were the same happy, sappy couple as before. No-one even batted an eye at the slightly more than usual PDA. There was nothing unusual about Castiel Krushnic kissing his boyfriend in the middle of the dance floor, or about Dean Winchester whispering the lyrics to the instrumental version of ‘I’d do anything for love’ in his lover’s ear.

Nothing had changed for anyone but Dean and Cas.

And, well, for Sam and Jessica, who watched with matching grins as Sam paid his wife; for he had predicted a rather dramatic revelation of his brother’s feelings after the end of the contract; whilst his clever wife had bet the masquerade ball would be their breaking point.

Of course, neither Dean nor Cas noticed any of it that night; they would hear of it much later. In the hours after midnight, they only had eyes for each other.

Still, Dean made sure his boyfriend kept as focused on his work as possible, standing by his side and making light conversation where needed.

Just like he had done before. Just as he hoped to do for a very long time to come.

##  ~*~

The sun already peaked up behind the horizon by the time Cas appeared to finally have enough. Dean didn’t even bother anymore with hiding his grin as Cas first bid good night to the few stray people still around and then not so subtly pulled Dean back to the elevator. 

And what a blessing it was that the elevator was private. With no need to restrain themselves any longer, their hands were everywhere at once, the walls rattling whenever one was pushed against them, lips never parting for long. By the time they reached the 77th floor their suit jackets and ties that littered the floor were hastily kicked into the penthouse, and most of the buttons of their shirts were already undone.

Stumbling over each other and laughing about their eagerness, they tried to do everything at once - walk, undress, kiss, caress,. In the end it was Cas who pushed Dean up against a random wall, calming them both down by gently pushing against Dean, devouring his mouth with the gentlest, deepest of kisses. 

Dean moaned softly in pleasure, his hands brushing along Cas’ back and making him shiver.

When they both chuckled again, Cas drew back just far enough that they were able to look at each other. With some of the fire reined in, Cas carefully reached up and once again took off Dean’s mask, then his own, letting them drop to the floor.

“Guess the time of masquerades is over,” he whispered, his fingers gently pushing into Dean’s hair.

After enjoying the feeling in silence for a moment, Dean nodded in reply.

“Let’s keep the masks, though,” he rasped out. “Might be a nice memory one day.”

“Of course. Anything you want.”

“Anything?” Dean asked with a raised eyebrow and to his delight, Cas nodded.

“Anything for you. Just say the word and it is yours.”

Resting his arms on Cas’ shoulders in a mock embrace, Dean gazed at his boyfriend for a long time, before finally replying. “You know I meant every word I said earlier, right? About you? And the money?”

“Yes, Dean. I know,” Cas assured him, gently pulling on Dean’s hips so he was swaying forward, closer into Cas’ embrace. “Doesn’t change the fact you’ll only have to ask what you wish for and I’ll give it to you.”

“Good,” Dean replied with a soft smile. “In that case you should probably know that right now, all I want is  _ you _ .”

Cas rose one eyebrow in that successive way of his. “You mean...?”

When Dean gave a curt nod, Cas’ growing smile and the returned heat in his gaze told him Cas had understood exactly what it was that Dean wanted for tonight.

“As you wish,” Cas added for good measure, Dean’s chuckle cut short by Cas’ lips on his.

Already, he could feel Cas’ hands pulling him in again as he bodily guided him further down the hallway, pushing him through a door and closing it behind him. They made short work of the rest of their clothing, and within seconds, Cas playfully pushed him onto bed.

A fucking  _ huge _ bed.

“Holy shit, Cas. What the heck do you need this much space for?”

When Cas didn’t reply, Dean looked back up at him - only to be met by a very lascivious grin. Rolling his eyes, Dean quickly sat up to pull Cas down with him.

“Point taken. But let’s get kinky another time, alright? It was a fucking long night and all I want right now, is you. In me. That’s all.”

“As you wish,” Cas repeated in a whisper, catching Dean’s lips in a searing kiss as he covered his body fully with his own.

Despite the fact of the late - or rather, early - hour and despite the fact how tired both of them already were, they took their sweet time. Eventually, Cas reached for the bedside table and the lube and condoms in there, their kisses never subsiding, never losing in vigor or fire or passion. Or in their need to be connected to each other.

By the time Cas was two fingers deep inside of him, Dean was a begging mess, pleading for more, pleading him to go faster, but mostly pleading for Cas - until finally,  _ finally,  _ Cas heard his prayers. 

Dean bit back the whine that wanted to escape when Cas withdrew his fingers, but he held onto his composure as Cas leaned up to kiss him, his hand slipping behind Dean’s knee and holding him open. Dean gasped against Cas’ lips as he felt the head of his cock press against his entrance, and he groaned as Cas pushed in with one long, slow stroke. 

When Cas finally pressed his hips against Dean’s body, he stilled, panting into Dean’s mouth. 

“Fuck,  _ Dean _ ,” he gasped.

Dean nodded, his nose brushing against Cas' cheek, unable to form the words for how he felt when Cas was  _ inside him.  _

He controled his breathing and kissed Cas firmly. Gripping the back of his head with one hand as he tried to show him what he felt. Cas moaned, and hell if that didn’t make Dean’s cock jump. 

He hitched his hips and Cas pulled back to look him in the eyes as he began to move. The soft light that spilled in from the living room their only source of light as they danced the age old dance. 

Cas ground forward slowly, rolling his hips a little as Dean continued to adjust to him. He slammed his head back into the pillow and hissed when Cas grazed his prostate with purpose. The small smirk on Cas’ lips more than enough to tell him he was about to do it again. 

Sure enough, the next pass of Cas’ cock brushed firmly against it again and Dean bit back a groan, the noise sounding strangled in his throat. 

“Don't,” Cas panted softly, “don’t hold back, Dean.”

Dean smirked up at him, “I won’t if you won’t.”

Cas huffed a laugh and drew out once more, his next thrust more forceful than the last. Dean grunted in pleasure and Cas did it again. And again. Until Dean couldn’t keep track of the thrusts. Each one blending into the next as his pleasure built, as Cas chased their completion. Dean was loud, he knew he was. He knew there were words of encouragement spilling from his own lips, that he was breathing out endearments between Cas’ desperate kisses. But it was all a background to the vision in front of him. 

Of Cas, his lean body arching over him as he pushed himself inside of Dean over and over. His hair darkening further along the brow line as he exerted himself. His body gleaming in the low light. His eyes… blue and alert and fixed on Dean in such a way that said he would never get enough of this. 

Cas’ hand reached out to grab Dean’s, entwining their fingers and pressing them into the bedspread beside their writhing bodies. Dean had one leg up, wrapped around Cas’ waist and the other cocked out to the side. 

He was staring up at Cas, his eyes locked on his features, savouring every little piece of this, every expression, and he saw the moment when it was going to be too much for Cas. Saw the thought cross his face before the words formed on his lips. 

“Dean, Dean I- I want you too much,” he said, and Dean nodded knowing what he meant. 

In truth he felt the same, strung out and ready to snap. The dance between them these past few months and the pressure and emotion of this night were too much to be conducive to a long round of lovemaking, no matter how much he wanted this to last forever. 

He moved his hand down his body and gripped his cock, gasping as if electrified at the sensation. God, it had never been like this before. Never been this intense. He felt Cas shift, and their hands pressed further into the bed as Cas leaned more weight on them, his other hand wrapping around Dean’s cock as well to move their hands in rhythm with the pace he set. 

Dean could see the way he was restraining himself. The telltale tremble in his body telling Dean that Cas was close,  _ so close _ , but he was holding back. Holding back and waiting for Dean. It was with that thought, and Cas’ jagged whisper of his name that he came spiralling over the edge. Pulsing onto his stomach as his body clenched and tightened with his release. 

_ “Dean.” _

“ _ Cas.” _

Cas thrust once more inside him with a long drawn out groan as his body partially collapsed around Dean. His hand let go of Dean’s cock so that he could rest his weight on both elbows. His breath warm and heavy on Dean’s neck. 

They lay there like that for a few moments, until Cas pulled out with a slight wince. Though his body protested, Dean rolled out of the bed. Pulling a protesting Cas with him. 

“Come on,” he said as he pulled Cas close, “I probably won’t know how to work your fancy ass shower.”

Cas hummed, “are you bribing me with sights of your wet naked body?”

Dean shrugged, grinning against Cas’ lips as he pressed a kiss to them.

“I suppose that’ll work,” Cas playfully grumbled, before tugging Dean in the direction of the bathroom. 

Together, they cleaned up and got ready for a few hours of sleep. Even while brushing their teeth side by side, they had a hard time keeping their hands to themselves, and Dean couldn’t find a reason to protest at all when he realized that Cas didn’t like sleeping with a shirt on. Grinning, he sank happily into the bed, entirely pleased when Cas settled next to him and rested his head on Dean’s shoulder. His arm coming to rest across Dean’s chest. Dean wrapped one arm around Cas’ back, holding him tightly against him while with the other hand, he entwined their fingers together and rested them over his heart. He would have fallen asleep like that easily and fast - if it hadn’t been for one question he suddenly needed an answer to.

“Hey, Cas?”

“Mhhh?” came the sleepy reply.

“How quick… I mean… Do you remember when- when it was no longer a charade for you?”

“You mean, when did I realize I had actual feelings for you?”

“Yeah.”

Cas tipped his head to press an absent kiss to Dean’s chest.

“Let’s just say, I’m a rather lousy actor. I disregarded it when Sam came up with the idea - but I soon had to admit to myself that I couldn’t just halfass it. So it was either all in or nothing.”

Dean smiled down at Cas.

“So pretty early on then?”

“I guess? All I know is… that for me, it was all real.”

“Good,” Dean replied, dipping down to press a kiss to Cas’ lips. “Because I’m a lousy actor as well.”

Hesitating for the barest of moments, Cas quickly grasped the meaning of Dean’s words and laughing, the two of them hugged each other close as they sunk in the land of dreams.

And if no-one saw them until Monday morning - well, what happened was between Cas and Dean, wasn’t it?

**Author's Note:**

> 😊 I really hope you liked it
> 
> So, let me tell you about the wild ride I had with this prompt. Originally, it inspired a massive regency fic. But at one point, I had to admit to myself that I simply wouldn't get it done in time - which, for you, means you will get ANOTHER fake-dating Destiel fic from me someday (absolutely no promises on the When, though), only set in the times of Jane Austen!
> 
> Since I still wanted to hand something in - because, yep, I have to admit that the Harlequin Challenge truly is my favorite when it comes to Destiel challenges 💙💚 - I had to come up with a new idea. Which I did with the help of [Alya_Chloris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alya_Chloris) \- thank you for that 😘  
> Obviously, me being me, my muse ran wild once more and what can I say? You'll get at least two more oneshots for this universe, maybe more... I know, I'm terrible 😂
> 
> Anyway! Bottom line: more Dean and Cas fics in the future! See you soon.


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